A search warrant affidavit released Friday reveals that a FBI cadaver dog picked up the scent of human remains near the bed of the parents of missing baby Lisa Irwin, ABC News reports.
The affidavit was submitted in support of a warrant to conduct a police search of the Kansas City, Mo., house and property of Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin, who reported their daughter missing on Oct. 4. Bradley claims she last saw Lisa on the evening of Oct. 3, when she put her daughter to bed.
The affidavit documents the results of an Oct. 17 FBI search of the Irwin property, conducted with the family's consent. According to the affidavit, a FBI cadaver dog indicated “a positive 'hit' for the scent of a deceased human" next to her mother's bed.
Irwin family attorney Cyndy Short cautioned that canine findings can sometimes be misleading.
“"My understanding is that there are cold cases where dogs have hit on scents of decomposition that have been in the home for as long as 28 years," Short told ABC's "Good Morning America." "This is an old home. 63 years old. There could be a lot of other explanations for that."
According to the affidavit, Bradley was initially reluctant to allow investigators to search behind her house because “she was afraid of what she might find.”
"The only areas extensively processed for DNA and fingerprints during the consent were the baby's bedroom and possible points of entry," the document states. Accordingly, “A more extensive and intrusive search needs to be completed at the property where the baby was last accounted." Granted a warrant, Kansas City police conducted a 17-hour search of the Irwin property Wednesday.
